Legacy of Hearts
by Cobra-kun
Summary: Set two years after Kingdom Hearts II. With Organization XIII gone, Maleficent puts her grand plan in motion, with Sora at the top of her list,
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All characters and names are copyright of Square-Enix and/or Disney Corporation. This is a non-profit endeavor for entertainment purposes only

--

The sun was relentless. Sitting high in the midday sky, it bore down without regard for the comfort of the people attempting to go about their business beneath it. Not a single cloud dotted the blue sky, providing no relief from the summer heat.

Squinting upwards, Sora mentally cursed the offending star. Sweat rolled unabated down his brow, constantly stinging his eyes and forcing him to stop what he was doing every few minutes and try in vain to keep his vision clear.

Looking back down, Sora carefully considered his current problem. He was kneeling in the vegetable garden that lined the back wall of his house. His mother had set him to work weeding the garden, and a respectably sized pile of the parasitic plants already sat off to one side, ready for the compost heap. Streaks of dirt clung to his sweaty skin from his mornings work, and he was desperately looking forward to a shower.

Standing between him and his goal was a final weed. By the looks of it, it had been growing unnoticed for some time, as it was a good ways larger than any of the others he had already excavated. Its roots were also firmly implanted in the soil, as he had discovered upon his first attempts to remove it.

Sora briefly entertained the idea of summoning the Keyblade, and hacking the problematic plant to little pieces. He dismissed it almost as quickly. Should his mother happen to look out the kitchen window, and see him assaulting weeds with an oversized key, he couldn't imagine how he might explain that.

He was already lucky enough that his mother seemed to be suffering some type of selective amnesia in regards to his extended absences during his last adventures. He didn't understand the source of such memory loss, but it saved him from having to explain everything to her. Or from lying to her. Sora hadn't quite decided which option he would go with should the situation ever arise.

Letting out a determined breath, Sora wrapped both hands around the stem of the weed, sat back on his heels, and gave a mighty heave. The weed strained against his grip for a few moments, and then with a loud snap and a shower of dirt, finally tore free from the ground. The sudden lack of resistance sent Sora toppling onto his back, but he didn't care. He had finally won. Laughing triumphantly to himself, he tossed the plant into the pile with the rest of its fellows, rolled onto his stomach, and pushed himself to his feet.

Now seventeen years old, Sora seemed to have reached the last growth spurt of his adolescence. He topped out at just over six feet tall, though his spiky brown hair added about three or four inches to his overall height. His hands and feet were no longer as disproportionately large as they once were, now that the rest of him had grown to match. His build was still lean, but there was more defined musculature that could be seen under his skin.

Brushing his dirt covered hands on his even more dirt covered shorts, he gathered up the pile of weeds in his arms and trudged around the side of the house to deposit them on top of the compost pile. There was some small measure of poetic justice in the fact that the weeds would soon be used as fertilizer for the vegetables they had until recently been attempting to choke out.

His chore at last complete, he walked around to the front door of his house, kicked off his shoes on the stoop, and stepped inside. He was immediately hit with a blessed wall of cold air, causing him to come to a stop in the doorway to bask in relief, until his mother shouted at him for leaving the door open and letting all the cold air out.

Climbing the stairs to his room, Sora peeled off his sticky clothes and tossed them in the hamper. Wrapping a towel around his waist, he walked down the hall to the bathroom and turned the shower on. Despite the heat of the day, he turned the water temperature up high enough to produce a good steam. The hot water served to relax his tired muscles as it washed away the grime from his work.

Returning to his room some fifteen minutes later, Sora was in the process of dressing when he heard something outside his window.

"Hey! "_Hey!_" "HEY!"

Sora stuck his head out the window, glaring down in irritation. "WHAT?!"

Riku was standing on his front lawn, a towel thrown over his shoulder. "A bunch of us are heading for the island. You coming or what?"

"Yeah, I'll be right down." Sora retreated back into his room and went to his closet. Rummaging around in it, he eventually found his swim trunks and pulled them on, then dug out what seemed to be a clean beach towel and thumped downstairs, calling out to his mother his plans, before slipping on a pair of sandals and heading out the door to meet his friend.

Riku, who would be turning eighteen in a week, had shocked everyone a few months ago by turning up with his silver hair cut short. It now barely reached to the bottom of his neck, and his bangs were gone completely, leaving his eyes unobscured. When asked about the sudden change, he had simply shrugged and stated he felt the urge to do something completely different.

"Man, your face is all red. What've you been doing all morning?" Riku asked as he made to poke Sora in the cheek.

Sora batted the finger away. "I've been weeding Mom's garden. I knew I should've put a hat on or something."

"One of the girls will probably have sunscreen on 'em. At least then it shouldn't get any worse."

"Yeah, here's hoping." Sora said as they crested the hill. Looking down, they could see the small harbor that housed Destiny Islands small fishing fleet, as well as the small collection of canoes residents would often use for recreation and inter-island transportation. Clustered around a group of these canoes were four people, identifiable from a distance by their wildly divergent hair colors. Bleached blond, bright orange, light brown, and dark red.

The four turned to greet Sora and Riku as they approached. Wakka was the tallest out of the whole group. He had grown tremendously in height and width. Even Riku, the second tallest, had to stand on tiptoes to reach his chin. It was little wonder he was the schools main line defender on the Blitzball team. He was akin to a brick wall. His attitude, on the other hand, was a jovial and good-natured as ever. He greeted his friends by catching them both up in a bear hug and swinging them around until they swore their ribs were bruised.

Tidus, the shortest male, was also on the Blitzball team. His main advantage was his blistering speed, with which he would out swim defenders and score goal after goal. He also still fancied himself an expert swordsman, and sought to challenge Sora and Riku at every conceivable opportunity, with less than desirable results. It could be said in defense of his character, however, that he didn't let defeat get him down, and always strove to improve himself. True to form, he had his red wooden sword resting lazily against one shoulder, and the gleam in his eyes told Sora and Riku they wouldn't get away without at least one bout this afternoon.

The ever-excitable Selphie greeted the two boys with enthusiastic hugs and a constant stream of chatter that conveyed how pleased she was that they could both come out with them this afternoon. Of the group of friends, Selphie had probably changed the least, physically. Still petite, with her hair that ended in her trademark upward curls, and with a personality that was impossible to bring down. Selphie injected good feelings into any situation, and people always found it impossible to remain in a sour mood around her.

Kairi tucked a few loose strands of hair behind her ear as she smiled demurely at Sora and Riku. Kairi had done some growing of her own. She was only a scant few inches shorter than Sora now. She had continued to grow her hair as well. It was tied back in a ponytail that fell between her shoulder blades to the middle of her back. Her face, despite the hardships she had seen and endured, still managed to retain a soft, innocent quality, and her bright blue eyes always seemed to be smiling.

Riku returned Kairi's greeting with a casual nod and smile of his own. Sora, on the other hand, unconsciously straightened his posture, puffed out his chest, and full on beamed. Riku resisted the urge to put his face in his palm and groan. Kairi did everything short of throwing herself at Sora to convey her interest in him. Riku knew that Sora was every bit as interested in her, but in the two years since the trio's return to Destiny Islands, Sora had yet to so much as ask Kairi out for coffee. Riku privately feared that if Sora didn't do something soon, Kairi might lose interest. And Riku knew that such a thing would crush Sora.

"So, everyone's here now! Let's go while we've still got sun, huh?" Selphie exclaimed as she bounced around her friends. The group rented two canoes and piled three in each, soon making their way towards the small island in the distance.

--

The Castle That Never Was was quiet. More than quiet. It was empty. Still. Dead.

The emptiness didn't last forever though. Two figures emerged from a column of shadow. One tall and slim, dressed in a flowing black robe and forked headdress. The other burly and rotund, in an odd black, red, and blue outfit.

Maleficent gazed around the empty, cavernous halls with keen, penetrating eyes. No signs of life. Not a sound to be heard.

"Perfect. This will serve every bit as nicely as I could've hoped." She said, reaching up with one hand to lightly stroke the feathers of her pet raven Diablo, who sat perched on her shoulder.

Pete said nothing. Long experience with Maleficent taught him it was best not to speak unless spoken to, and he knew that the dark fairy had not been speaking to him.

Blue flame erupted from the floor a few feet away from them, eventually coalescing into the dark form of Hades. The Lord of the Dead glanced around the empty Castle with a skeptical look.

"Really? I mean, don't get me wrong there's plenty of room to put my stuff but, there's nothing….here."

"Once I gather my Heartless army to me again, and our esteemed associates arrive, this will serve as the perfect staging ground for our inevitable triumph."

Pete swallowed nervously, and his strong desire for self-preservation overrode the usual caution he exercised around his mistress.

"Are you sure ya wanna deal with the Heartless again, Maleficent? I mean, they almost killed us last time…"

"And I would know." Hades put in, mostly to himself.

Maleficent cast Pete a withering glare. "Silence coward." She sneered. "Without those Organization fools here to interfere in our business, the Heartless will be falling over themselves to serve me once more."

"That's all well and good." Hades interrupted, "But let's not forget one very important detail. The moment you start mucking around the Worlds again with the Heartless, that brat and his wretched Keyblade are gonna be all over us."

"Oh, believe me, I haven't for a second forgotten Sora and those two royal lackeys that follow him around. We must deal with them as soon as possible. But we need something to keep him distracted, keep him looking in the wrong direction until we can consolidate our power."

"Why don't we just kill him?" Hades asked.

"No, we need him alive so we can make use of his Keyblade. Believe me, if we had the option I'd kill him myself this instant."

Hades considered the problem for a moment, and then a wicked grin split his features. "I've got just the soul for the job."

Maleficent eyes him dubiously. "This isn't going to be anything like that last debacle you cooked up, hmmm?"

"Pfft, no. What? No." Hades waved his hand dismissively. "The problem with that last guy was that whole pesky 'free will' thing. So this time I'll just use someone who doesn't have any in the first place."

Hades snapped his fingers. After a few moments, a strange sound began to echo from the empty walls. Seemingly from nowhere, an enormous steed rode up, rearing on its hind legs as it came to a sudden stop before the three. Black as midnight with burning red eyes, every time it snorted it seemed to expel a thick cloud of smoke. But if the horse was fearsome, it was nothing compared to its rider.

Dressed entirely in black armor with a flowing black cape, a wicked looking sword was slung at its left hip. Even sitting in the saddle, one could tell the rider was easily over seven feet tall.

And it had no head.

"Find the Keyblade Wielder and keep him busy." Hades commanded. "Keep him as far away from us as you possibly can."

Turning his mighty steed, the Headless Horseman galloped away, vanishing into shadow.

A/N: Well, I hope you all enjoy my new story venture. Please leave a review and let me know what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All characters and names are copyright of Square-Enix and/or Disney Corporation. This is a non-profit endeavor for entertainment purposes only

--

Sora lay on his back on the soft white sand, gazing up at the sky. Now protected by a thick coat of sunscreen, the blazing sun didn't seem quite so bad. He could hear the sounds of his friends splashing in the waves a few feet off, and he relished in the feelings of peace and contentedness that had seemed unlikely he would ever get to experience again just two years ago.

A body suddenly blocked the sunlight out, and Sora squinted to make out whom the silhouette belonged to. It was Kairi. Water was dripping out of her dark red hair and down her body, clad in not more than her sky blue two-piece. Sora swallowed hard. He wasn't sure he trusted his voice just then.

"Why is it that when I go looking for you, I always find you lazing around on your back on the sand?" She asked, one corner of her mouth twitching as she fought down a smile.

"It's…" Sora cleared his throat. Why did his voice _crack _like that? He should be done with this puberty nonsense. "It's not being lazy. You just always catch me at repose." He nodded his head. "Yeah, that's it."

Kairi snorted out a laugh and brushed at her forehead, where a few of her wet bangs were sticking. "Well, 'repose' later. We're trying to get a game going and we need you to make the teams even."

"But Selphie hates Blitz." Sora sat up, brushing some stray grains of sand from the backs of his arms."

"Yeah, but she'll also do anything that Tidus wants to do."

"Ah, of course. How silly of me to forget." Sora stood and motioned to the water. "Shall we?"

Kairi smiled and took his arm, leading him down the sand. Sora swallowed again. Even the slightest contact with Kairi gave him tingles down his spine. Riku was forever pestering him to just ask her out already. Sora very much wanted to, but there was always some niggling doubt that kept the words locked in the back of his throat. What if she only saw him as a brother, like she did Riku? His friend said he was daft, and that Kairi's interest in him was anything but familial.

But then Sora was a teenage guy, and they've never been accused of possessing powerful higher brain functions.

Sora, Kairi, and Wakka were matched against Riku, Selphie, and Tidus. It seemed fair to have a person who actually played Blitzball on each team. It was also decided that the rules would have to be modified somewhat, since only Tidus and Wakka had the training that allowed them to hold their breath underwater for extended periods of time. What they actually ended up playing was closer in style to water polo, which worked against Tidus' team, as the conditions didn't allow for him to make good use of his speed. In the end, Sora's team ended up winning by three, and the six retired to their towels, worn out but in good spirits.

"Does anyone hear that?" Tidus asked, raising his head and looking around.

"Hear what?" Selphie asked, shaking her head. "I think you're losing it."

"No, I'm serious. It sounds like hoof beats." Tidus insisted.

"Dere ain't no horses on the islands, bruddah." Wakka laughed off his teammates concerns.

Tidus sat and fumed while Wakka and Selphie laughed at him. Sora sat up on his towel and tilted his head to one side. Come to think of it, he thought he might've heard something too. He glanced at Riku to see his best friend looking intently at some point in the distance. Kairi was looking back and forth between Sora and Riku, chewing on her bottom lip. She could tell by their postures that something wasn't right.

In a shower of sand, something burst from under the ground. The six scrambled to their feet as a massive black horse reared on its hind legs before them, snorting smoke from its nostrils. It's rider swung from the saddle and dropped heavily to the sand. The teenagers gaped at the apparition, dressed in intimidating black armor, and completely lacking in a head.

The perceived handicap didn't appear to hinder the rider at all. It drew its sword, an evil looking blade of jagged, serrated metal. It pointed the tip directly at Sora as it advanced on the six.

Riku was the first into action, surging forward with the Way To Dawn materializing in his hand. "Sora! Get the others to the canoes! Make sure they're all right!" The Horseman brought his sword around in a diagonal slash. Riku intercepted the blade in a shower of sparks, and the two began to trade blows. No matter how much Riku danced around his opponent, the Headless Horseman followed his movements, somehow able to track him without eyes.

Sora was herding the others towards the dock the canoes were tied down to. He was anxious to get everyone, specifically Kairi, out of danger, and then get back to help Riku. Casting a glance over his shoulder, he could see his friend still engaged with the headless rider.

"What's going on?!" Selphie shouted, near hysterics as she clung tightly to Tidus' side.

"Just get back to town, we'll take care of it!" Sora assured her as he helped Tidus get her into a canoe.

Kairi grabbed his hand and pulled him around to face her. Her blue eyes looked slightly frightened, but determined at the same time. "It's happening again, isn't it?"

Sora pursed his lips. "I don't know. Maybe. Look, just make sure the others get away safely."

Kairi frowned and began to protest. "Sora…"

"Just go! I'm counting on you to watch over the others. Riku and I'll be fine."

"Don't you dare think about leaving me behind again."

"I promise we'll be back. Now go. Go!" He pushed her toward the boats and took off back up the beach, Ultima forming in his fist as he ran.

Kairi clenched her jaw as she watched him go, then turned and helped Wakka push the canoe into the waves.

--

Riku jumped backwards as his Keyblade threatened to become locked on one of the jagged pieces of metal that comprised the Horseman's sword. His right arm was beginning to ache. The Horseman was unnaturally strong, and every time their swords met, it sent painful jolts up and down Riku's arm. It was all he could do just to hold on to the Way To Dawn at every exchange.

His opponent didn't seem to be tiring either. Riku surmised that if he could function without a head, it was highly likely his body wasn't constrained by the normal human limits of fatigue.

Riku brought his Keyblade up to meet the Horseman's sword as it came down towards his head. The force of the blow drove Riku down to his knees in the sand, and he had to brace one hand against the flat of his blade as he struggled to keep to Horseman from splitting his cranium open.

Suddenly, the weight was gone as the Horseman's sword whipped around to catch Ultima as it came in to strike at its flank. By now, it hardly surprised Riku that the Horseman had been able to sense Sora's blow coming, even though his friend hadn't made a sound. Riku climbed to his feet as Sora dueled the Horseman, leading his opponent up the beach away from both Riku, and from where their friends were making their getaway.

Riku rolled his shoulder, trying to work out the stiffness that had formed from his fight. He knew Sora wasn't likely to be able to beat the Horseman on his own. While Riku privately acknowledged that Sora's skill with a blade outmatched his own, Riku was still physically the stronger of the two. And if he could barely hold out against the Horseman's superhuman strength, Sora wouldn't last nearly as long.

It seemed Riku's instincts were correct. Sora was holding Ultima with both hands as he blocked and parried the Horseman's strikes. Every time their blades made contact, Sora would wince as the blows jostled his entire body. Sweat was beginning to bead on his forehead, and he feared it would soon roll into his eyes, much like it had done in the garden that morning. Except this time the consequences would be potentially lethal.

Riku came charging in, and the Horseman shifted his feet and brought his sword around in a sweeping arc that parried Sora's Keyblade off to one side and stopped Riku's in mid-swing. Sora caught his balance and went on the attack again. The Horseman's blade danced back and forth, intercepting the boy's attacks with a master's skill. Both could feel their limbs growing heavy with fatigue. They had to find a way to end this battle soon, or else the Horseman would.

Then something most unexpected occurred. The Horseman lashed out with an armored leg, catching Sora and Riku in the abdomen and sending them sprawling to the sand. The Horseman turned with a flourish of his cape and caught the reins of his steed as it came galloping up. Heaving himself into the saddle, the Horseman rode to the edge of the water. The Horseman rode on without pause, the hoofs of his steed kicking up small splashes as it rode across the top of the water as easily as if it were pavement.

Sora sat up painfully, holding his stomach as he fought to catch his breath. His head whipped around as he tried to find out what had happened to the headless horror they had been fighting. He finally caught sight of the black apparition steadily shrinking as it rode across the surface of the water. Sora's heart skipped a beat once he realized where the Horseman was headed.

"Riku! Riku, get up! He's headed for town!" Sora scrambled to his feet and tore down the beach to where the other canoe was tied up. Riku rolled to his feet and took off after him. The two boys worked double-time to get the boat in the water and were soon paddling as fast as humanly possible after the Horseman.

"We're not going to catch him before he reaches town!" Riku called in between panting breaths.

Sora merely grit his teeth and paddled faster, praying his mother and Kairi would be all right.

--

Maleficent sat back in the large, white marble throne that had once belonged to Xemnas, the Organizations Number I. The abandoned council chamber in the depths of the Castle That Never Was made the perfect location for the first meeting of Maleficent's new allies.

Hades sat to her right, looking thoroughly bored with the proceedings. Maleficent knew that if they weren't having a discussion that involved planning the deaths of Sora and/or Hercules, then the Lord of the Dead generally wasn't interested. It was for those reasons that the god was content to let Maleficent take charge, despite his vastly greater powers.

Seated to the right of Hades, dressed in an impeccably tailored, navy-blue suit, was the tiger businessman Shere Khan. Maleficent had recruited the President of Khan Industries for his incredibly sharp mind and hunter's instincts, as well as his nearly limitless funds. In return, Maleficent had promised Khan access to the Heartless research conducted by Ansem, or rather, Xehanort's Heartless, for his own purposes.

In the Number IV seat was the massively imposing figure of The Horned King. Easily eight feet tall and as thick as a tree trunk, dressed in blood red armor and wearing a great horned helmet from which he took his name, The Horned King commanded a vast demon army with which Maleficent hoped to bolster her own forces. For his help, Maleficent would help the King track down the Black Cauldron, an artifact of tremendous power.

The famed hunter, Gaston, sat lazily in his chair, legs thrown over one of the arms, picking his teeth with a chicken bone. All Maleficent had to do to ensure his loyalty was promise him revenge against the Beast, who had embarrassed, defeated, and left him for dead once before.

From a parallel world called the Negaverse, Maleficent had recruited that world's master, the supervillian known as NegaDuck. Although dangerously unstable, Maleficent promised NegaDuck and outlet for his unending appetite for destruction on a much larger scale than he was used to. NegaDuck had asked in return only that Maleficent help him end the life of his virtuous counterpart.

Jafar's spiritual successor, the wizard Mozenrath, rhythmically clenched and unclenched his gloved left hand as he waited for the proceedings to begin. Maleficent had wanted another powerful magic user who didn't share Jafar's shortsighted obsession with Agrabah. It was much easier to convince Mozenrath of the bigger picture, and how his great powers could be put to use to much grander ends.

Maleficent had found another powerful mage, and one who posed a physical threat as well. Tapping one sharpened talon against the marble armrest of her chair, the blue-skinned, immortal gargoyle Demona cast a stony glare at her companions. It had taken some amount of convincing on Maleficent's part to bring Demona on board. It seemed the gargoyle had some trust issues after several betrayals by past partners. Maleficent finally got Demona to agree to her plans by promising her command of some powerful Heartless to use against her enemies.

Fidgeting slightly in his seat, the 'mad' scientist Dr. Drakken looked at the eclectic band gathered around him. They were some of the singular oddest people he had yet to lay eyes on. The massive man in the red armor looked like he would rip your arms off as soon as look at you, and the winged female with the blue skin kept sending nasty looks his way. Drakken couldn't imagine what it was he possibly could have done to make her angry. He glanced over his shoulder, mostly to reassure himself that Shego remained at her post. Her presence helped bring a small sense of normalcy to the weirdness he now found himself in.

"Are we ready to start yet?" Hades asked. "The Underworld doesn't run itself you know. I can't trust Pain and Panic to take care of anything while I'm gone and poor Cerberus is just lost without me..."

"Patience my friend. We're only waiting on one more of our colleagues, and then we can get under way." Maleficent assured him.

No sooner had she finished speaking then an odd sound echoed off the cavernous chambers walls. They were footsteps punctuated with a loud thump every other step, as though the person walking had a heavy limp.

A large, misshapen form rounded the corner near one of the last unoccupied chairs. It wore a long coat that appeared to be made out of seaweed. A bulbous sack stuck out from the back of its head underneath a tri-cornered hat. The large lobster claw in place of its left arm clicked rhythmically.

"Captain Jones, welcome, welcome. Thank you for joining us." Maleficent said graciously, nodding her head to the newcomer.

"JONES?!" Hades roared, shooting to his feet, the flames on his head flaring red. "NO! Nononononononono! Absolutely not! Do you know what he does?!" Hades rounded on Maleficent, jabbing an accusatory finger at Davy Jones. "He steals souls, MY souls! So he can have more fishsticks to crew his ship!"

Jones smirked and limped closer to where Hades was literally fuming. "Ye can hardly blame 'em. Considering they're faced with an eternity of starin' at yer face, is it any wonder they fear death?"

Hades bellowed as his hands erupted in flame. "I'll give you reason to FEAR DEATH!"

"Gentlemen, please." Maleficent said as she stood to interpose herself between the two as Jones made to draw his sword. She knew the two immortals could battle for eternity, and she didn't have time for that. "Hades, we have need to Captain Jones' ship and his crew. Remember, everything we do is for the sake of or glorious vision. So please, put aside your differences for now. Once we achieve victory, you two can have at each other until time ceases for all I care."

Hades glared back and forth between Maleficent and Jones for a while, then his flames turned blue again and he returned to his seat with a huff. Jones bowed mockingly to Hades, then turned and stumped to his own chair, settling down next to Drakken, who shifted away after getting a close-up look at the writhing mass of tentacles that comprised the bottom half of his face. The others, who had been watching the situation with varying degrees of interest, now looked to Maleficent, giving her their undivided attention, with the exception of NegaDuck, who simply looked disgruntled that there hadn't been a fight.

"Esteemed associates." Maleficent began. "Though our ideals may differ in many ways, we are all gathered here under a single banner. Power. It is the pursuit of it that drives us on, even when we may suffer setbacks. And I have brought us together, for I believe that by combining our might, we can achieve the ultimate power.

"Kingdom Hearts. The door to the Heart of Worlds. Beyond which lies a most ancient power of epic proportions. This prize can be all of ours, if we have only the wit and the will to seize it.

"Two obstacles stand in our path, however. The first is the Keybearer. One, miserable child who has stood in my way time and again. It is he who holds the Keyblade, which we require to open Kingdom Hearts. He must be brought to kneel before our feet, and the Keyblade turned to our uses.

"Second is the insufferable King of Disney Castle, Mickey. Always he seeks to stick his pointed nose in my business. Fortunately, we do not require him to be alive. Before our work is done, his castle must burn and he along with it!"

The Horned King got to his feet, towering over everyone else assembled. "I will deal with the mouse king. I will raze his castle and bathe the rubble in his blood."

NegaDuck let out a sinister chuckle. "Oh, I like this guy."

"An excellent idea." Maleficent agreed. "While that's being taken care of, we can turn our attention to other matters. Mozenrath, I have something in particular I'd like you to see to."

The meeting continued without incident, though Hades did spend the entire time pouting and shooting sour looks at Davy Jones.

A/N: Here's the second chapter right away, since I had it done. R/R, thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: All characters and names are copyright of Square-Enix and/or Disney Corporation. This is a non-profit endeavor for entertainment purposes only

A/N: Well everyone, I am very sorry for the long delay between this chapter and the last. I am, however, in the Navy, which is not an environment that is always conducive to writing. But, I am here again with the latest installment of this story, and I hope to have the next chapter done in a few weeks or so. Enjoy!

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The sun had almost set by the time Sora and Riku reached the shore in their canoe. Before the craft had even properly beached itself, the boys had leapt over the side and were sprinting up the beach towards the hill that would lead them down into town. Thick plumes of smoke could be seen rising into the darkening sky, spurring both on with visions of dread dancing before their minds.

The view from the top of the hill was worse than either had imagined. Destiny Islands was burning.

As the Wielders dashed towards the town, screams and cries for help drifted up towards their ears. Crowds of people were rushing this way and that. Some were trying to fight the fires that threatened to consume their homes, but most seemed intent on escaping the horror that had visited itself upon their lives.

Coming to a halt in the town square, Sora and Riku looked about frantically for the source of that horror. That the Horseman could have caused so much damage in a relatively short amount of time was disconcerting to say the least.

"Maybe we should split up." Riku suggested. "We need to find this guy before he causes any more..."

Riku was cut off by the sound of panicked screaming and thundering hoof beats. Turning, the two saw a crowd of people being chased by the Horseman, sword swinging over their heads.

Sora was about to charge the Horseman, when Riku's hand on his arm stopped him. Riku pointed down a side street, indicating for Sora to circle around and flank their opponent. The Keybearer nodded and hurried off, while Riku summoned the Way to Dawn and charged the Horseman head on.

Sensing Riku's approach, the Horseman abandoned his pursuit of the scared mob, turning his steed to face the teenager. The large horse reared up on its hind legs, attempting to crush Riku under it's hoofs as it brought them crashing down. Riku had no problem evading the attack, and he attempted to cut the horse's legs out from under it. The Horseman's sword intercepted his attack, and Riku had to jump back out of the way of the ensuing counterattack.

Trying to fight an opponent mounted on horseback was not a course of action Riku would prefer to take. He was in the process of planning out his next move, when a flurry of movement caught his eye.

With a great yell, Sora came leaping off one of the nearby rooftops, slamming into the Horseman with all his weight. The Horseman was larger, but the attack still caught him by surprise, and it was enough to unseat him from the saddle, sending both him and Sora tumbling to the ground, where they each had to roll frantically away from the spooked horse's trampling hooves.

Riku dashed around the steed, trying to get at the Horseman before he could recover his balance. Way to Dawn whistled through the air, but the Horseman sword was there to block it as its wielder gained his footing.

Again, the two combatants traded blows, blades ringing with each exchange. Sora scrambled to his feet and leapt towards the fray, Ultima forming in his hand as he raised it above his head, striking downwards with a powerful overhand strike. The Horseman twisted his body to the side, allowing Sora's attack to swing right past him. The momentum of his strike sent Sora stumbling away, back exposed to the Horseman. Riku pressed his attack to prevent the Horseman from capitalizing on Sora's moment of vulnerability.

Sora regained his balance and twisted on his heel, looking for an opening that would allow him to end this fight. He didn't like to think what might happen if he and Riku got into an extended fight with the Horseman. Their skirmish on the island earlier that afternoon didn't leave him with a great amount of confidence in their ability to beat the monster.

_This is what we get for not keeping up on our training. _He thought bitterly to himself.

Then it struck him. He felt like such a fool. He could hear almost hear Merlin's voice. _"Forgot all your spells already have you? I suppose I can give you a little training..."_

Sora swung Ultima around until the tip was pointing at the Horseman's back. He was still engaged in combat with Riku, and didnt seem to take notice of him. Ice crystals began to form around Ultima as the air around it became super cooled. Once the Keyblade had become completely engulfed in ice, Sora unleashed the magic, blasting the Horseman in the back with a beam of ice. The right side of the Horseman's body, including his sword arm, was frozen in place. The Horseman twisted his body around in an attempt to free himself, but the ice held fast.

"Now Riku!" Sora shouted, charging forward, Keyblade pulled back to strike.

Ultima and the Way to Dawn moved as one, piercing the armor on the Horseman's chest and back simultaneously and plunging through, each erupting from the other side.

Sora and Riku withdrew their Keyblades. A grayish, smoky substance emerged from the wounds in the Horseman's body. He wobbled back and forth for a moment and then, the ice finally giving away in the warm night air, toppled over backwards and remained still.

The Keybearers stood there for a moment, breathing heavily as they watched their opponent for signs of movement. When there was none, they finally allowed their guard to drop. Sora plunged the tip of Ultima into the ground, leaning against it while he caught his breath.

"You all right?" He asked of Riku.

The other nodded his head, dismissing Way to Dawn as he blew out a long sigh. "Cmon. Rest later. We need to see if the others are OK."

"Right. Yeah." Sora straightened up, dismissing Ultima and moving to stand by his friend.

"Sora! Riku!" Both turned as their names were called in time for Kairi to slam into them both, throwing her arms around their necks.

"Kairi! You made it!" Sora was hugging her tightly, a knot in his stomach he had felt since that afternoon finally loosening. "The others? Our parents?"

"All fine." Kairi replied, her fingers lightly stroking the hair at the back of Soras neck without her even realizing it. "But, there were some other villagers who were..."

"Damn it." Riku muttered. "Not fast enough. Never fast enough."

Kairi pulled back a bit, squeezing Riku's upper arm gently. "It would have been so much worse if you hadnt have gotten here when you did. There are still so many lives you've saved."

"Yeah. Yeah, you got a point." Riku agreed, pulling a faint smile across his face.

Kairi smiled back and opened her mouth to say something else. Nothing came out though, as her eyes suddenly focused on a point behind the two boys, the color leaving her face.

Sora and Riku both began to turn around. The Horseman's sword flashed upwards. Sora felt something warm and wet spatter against his shirt and the bottom of his face.

Kairi's eyes widened slightly as she tipped over backwards, falling to the ground in, what seemed to Sora, slow motion. The front of her shirt had been torn open, a nasty, jagged cut spread from stomach up to her chest. Blood seeped from the wound at an alarming rate.

Sora and Riku, numb with horror, were unable to react as the Horseman, inexplicably recovered, knocked them both aside and scooped up Kairi's motionless figure. His horse came galloping up, and the Horseman swung himself into the saddle, tearing off down the street and vanishing into a corridor of darkness that opened to receive him.

"Kairi! Kairi, no!" Sora scrambled to his feet and reached desperately for the portal. It closed just before his fingers passed through it, causing Sora to pitch forward and land on his face in the dirt.

"Kairi..." He muttered, staring at the place where the Headless Horseman had vanished.

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The flame sputtered in the damp air, casting flickering shadows against the high, arching stone walls. Torch clutched tightly in his gloved hand, Mozenrath swept down the corridor, royal blue cloak fluttering in his wake. He was'nt perturbed by the oppressive, claustrophobic atmosphere of the catacomb, nor was he bothered by the grotesque carvings of death and decay that decorated the corridor.

Rather, it was the company he was keeping that set him on edge. Stalking along behind him in sullen silence, wings caped around her shoulders, was the gargoyle Demona. When Maleficent assigned the two of them together on this particular errand, Demona had made a big scene about how she didnt need help, especially from _him _in completing her mission.

But the dark fairy's word was final, and the two of them had spent the last few hours combing through these catacombs, searching for what, in Mozenraths opinion, was a needle in a haystack.

"Do you even know where youre going?" Demona bit out suddenly.

"I suppose you would have any better idea?" He snapped back. A few moments went by without a response, and Mozenrath snorted quietly to himself. The bulk of their conversations thus far had gone this way. One would throw out some nasty, snippy comment, and the other would respond in kind.

Mozenrath was just contemplating one such comment, hoping to get under the gargoyle's skin, when the torchlight suddenly illuminated a large, stone door that brought their progress to a halt. The door was decorated with the same motif as the rest of the catacombs, dominated by a large skull, grinning down at them.

Demona elbowed past him and reached out to place a clawed hand against the door. "Something's behind this. If it's what we seek, I dont know, but there's something." She pushed against it, straining her muscles. Slowly, laboriously, the door began to swing inward, releasing a rush of stale, foul-smelling air as it did.

Inside, the chamber appeared mostly empty, save for a single pedestal standing in the center. Atop it was an ancient looking book, its cover cracked and caked with dust.

"At last." Mozenrath breathed as he stepped into the room, switching the torch to his leftt hand and reaching out to it with his glove.

Demona's hand suddenly clamped down on his arm, her grip uncomfortably tight.

"What are you thinking, fool? That book must be protected by multiple levels of enchantments."

"I know that!" Mozenrath huffed, trying unsuccessfully to free his arm from her grasp. "I'm in complete control of the situation."

Demona stared at him for a few moments, and then released his arm. "Fine. Dont say I didn't try to warn you."

Mozenrath snorted again, then turned back to the book, reaching out to it again. A few inches from it, black fire seemed to spring up around it, washing over his gloved hand. Mozenrath pushed against the barrier, eyes narrowing in concentration. Slowly, his arm began to pass through the flames, inching closer to the book.

With one last push, his fingers closed around the tome. The flames dissipated, and Mozenrath picked it up. He turned to Demona, a look of smug triumph on his face.

The gargoyle rolled her eyes. "Congratulations on your victory, human. You can revel in your glory later. The sooner we return this to Maleficent, the sooner I can cleanse myself of the time spent in your presence." She turned and strode from the room, not waiting for him as she passed into the darkness beyond.

"That makes two of us." Mozenrath muttered, tucking the book under his arm and following after.

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The sun was just starting to peek over the eastern horizon, casting a soft pink light over Destiny Islands. Most of the fires had burned themselves out, leaving behind smoking, smoldering ruins. The residents who survived the Headless Horseman's assault were finally beginning to emerge from their hiding places, sifting through the rubble, searching for whatever possessions remained, and identifying the bodies of friends and loved ones lost.

Sora was oblivious to it all. He sat motionless in the dirt, as he had been for the last several hours, staring at nothing in particular, his keyblade held loosely in one hand. Dried blood still covered the front of his shirt and part of his face. Kairi's blood.

Riku came up behind him, limping slightly still from the fight with the Horseman. "I told your mom you were OK. Might be nice if you went and saw her for yourself."

Sora said nothing, continuing to stare off into the distance.

"Or you could keep sitting there. That works too." Riku muttered, dropping down onto the ground next to his friend. "I told the Mayor about what happened to Kairi too."

"She's gone." Sora whispered in response.

Riku turned his head slightly to look at him. "Hanging around here's not doing much to get her back, y'know."

Soras head turned fractionally to glance at Riku, blue eyes dull. "She's _gone _gone."

"What are you talking about?" Riku now turned to face Sora fully, peering at him closely.

"You saw what he did to her." Sora looked down at himself. "So much blood. She's gone."

"He wouldn't have bothered to take her if she were dead." Sora flinched at the word. Riku himself wasnt so sure of his own logic, but he pressed on. "Wherever she is, she needs out help. This is no different than the last times. We'll look for her. We'll find her. And we'll make sure whoever's responsible for all this pays."

Sora stared listlessly at him for a while. "How? We don't have a gummi ship."

"Yeah, about that..." Riku threw out a hand, and before them, a dark, swirling portal sprung to life. "When I saw the Horseman use it to get away, I suddenly recalled that I could still summon them."

Sora gazed at the corridor of darkness for a moment, and then looked back to Riku. "If you had used that back on the island..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." Riku replied, his face turning red with embarrassment. "I already feel stupid enough, no need to rub it in."

Sora looked back to the corridor to darkness. "Where will we go?"

"We'll start with the King." Riku replied, getting to his feet. "Maybe he knows something about who's responsible for this."

Sora blinked up at him a few times, and then slowly rose to his feet. "You think we can really find her?" He asked, a little bit of life returning to him.

"Of course! No one can stop us, you know that."

Sora looked back at the swirling portal, and then nodded grimly. "Right. All right. We'll do it." He looked down at himself again. "After I get cleaned up and see mom." Dismissing the keyblade, he turned and dashed towards his house, calling back over his shoulder. "Back in a sec!"

Riku watched him go, then turned and looked towards the sky. "I really hope you're OK, Kairi. He'll be lost without you."

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From his lofty perch in the gummi ship hanger control room, Chip watched as the automated machines below worked to assemble the latest model to come from the design department. Once completed, the craft, with its streamlined, swept-back, regal appearance, would serve as the King's new personal transport.

Chip's ears perked up and he tilted his head to one side. For a moment, he thought he heard something coming from above, almost like a faint rumbling. A few seconds ticked by. There it was again. It sounded a little closer this time, and seemed to last a little longer. It also seemed that he could feel slight vibrations under his feet.

"Hey Chip!" That was Dale, scampering into the control room and climbing up to stand next to his partner. "Didya hear something funny just now? I thought..."

The rest was cut off as one of the walls to the assembly room floor suddenly and violently exploded inward. Through the breach swarmed a great number of odd looking creatures. All about half as tall as a man, with leathery, brownish skin and hooked, beak like mouths lined with tiny, needle-point teeth. They all wore battle armor that looked cobbled together, and wielded a wide assortment of weapons. The one thing they all had in common was that each creature had a pair of antlers painted in red on the breastplates of their armor.

The strange army swarmed across the gummi hanger, smashing to pieces any thing they could reach, including the new ship being assembled.

"Cmon Dale!" Chip shouted, leaping from the console and dashing across the floor for the door. Dale was on his heels in a flash, even as the glass to the observation room cracked under the blow of a hammer.

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King Mickey was in his study when word of the attack reached him. He looked up as an out of breath and visibly distressed Donald burst through the doors, throwing himself across the desk and attempting vainly to convey the danger through nearly unintelligible babble.

"Donald! Slow down! What's happened?" The King's question was punctuated by an ominous boom that rattled the castle and knocked some plaster loose from the walls.

Donald gulped down air before replying. "Invaders, Your Majesty! They've breached the walls! The watch never saw them coming!"

Mickey was over his desk and heading out the door before Donald finished speaking, leaving the Court Magician to scramble to catch up with him.

"Where's Minnie?" The King asked as he sprinted through the hallways, dodging around knights who were running this way and that, attempting to cover the multiple incursion points.

"She went to the gate." Donald answered. "She said she wanted to help..."

"She went to the _front_?!" Mickey screeched, his voice jumping higher than usual. He abruptly changed direction and began running for the entrance to the castle grounds. "What could she be thinking?!"

When the two reached the castle gate, they found it swarming with knights formed up into rows, shields raised and swords clutched tightly in their hands. All eyes were on the gate itself, which had already been bent inwards by some tremendous force, and looked only moments from collapse.

Dashing to the front of the lines, Mickey at last caught sight of Minnie, flanked on one side by Goofy, and on the other by her personal bodyguard, Goofy's son, Max.

"Minnie!" Mickey called, stumbling to a halt in front of her. "What are you doing out here! You should be inside!" The King rounded on Max. "This isn't what I had in mind when I assigned you to guard the Queen. You need to take her inside and..."

"Mickey!" The Queen sharply cut off his tirade. "I will not hide while our home is under attack. And dont be angry with poor Max. He was only doing as he was told."

Mickey opened his mouth to argue the point further when suddenly, with a great splintering of wood, the gate was smashed open.

"Look out!" Goofy called, bringing around his shield, the appropriately named Save the King, to block incoming debris.

More of the odd assortment of goblin-like creatures swarmed over the pieces of the broken gate. The knights of Disney Castle surged forward to meet them, and the courtyard was soon filled with the deafening sounds of battle.

Mickey's Keyblade appeared in his hand, and he swung it up to block an incoming sword. Parrying his opponents blade off to one side, he drew back the Keyblade and sliced the creature in half at the waist. The two pieces fell to the ground and stayed there, not dissolving. No heart floated up from the carcass to vanish into the sky.

"Not Heartless." He mused, then leapt backwards just in time to avoid another strike. "Time enough to focus on that later." He muttered, Keyblade swinging out to engage the aggressors once again.

Donald raised his staff skyward. Save the Queen began to glow brightly, and then mighty bolts of lightning streaked down from the heavens, striking multiple enemies. They fell easily enough, but more always seemed ready to take their place. Turning, Donald swung his staff horizontally, a line of fire shot from it, burning through another tightly packed group of invaders.

"There's too many!" He shouted to Goofy, who was a few feet away, bashing enemies left and right with wide swings of his shield.

"How're they gettin' in Donald?" The Captain of the Guard asked, blocking an attack and then slamming his shield back into the surprised creatures face. "The Cornerstone of Light should be protecting us."

"I'd like to the answer to that question as well, Goofy." Mickey put in as he somersaulted through the air over the head of an attacking demon, slashing backwards with his Keyblade on the way down, cleaving its head in two. He landed nimbly on his feet next to Donald and Goofy. "We need to check it out. Quickly."

Goofy nodded and signaled to a contingent of his men. "Form up! We need to escort the King to the Hall of the Cornerstone!"

"Minnie!" Mickey called to his wife, who was fighting off the invading horde with beams of light from her fingertips. "Can you clear us a way back to the castle?"

Minnie took a deep breath, and raised her arms skyward. For a moment, nothing happened. Then great columns of light streamed down from above, burning through any demon they touched, while leaving the knights of Disney Castle unharmed. The effect was devastating, but the effort left the Queen visibly winded and Max had to put an arm around her to steady her.

"All right everyone! Lets get a move on! Max, bring her with us." Mickey led the charge as Donald and Goofy followed close behind. Max scooped up the still-dazed Queen and sprinted after, a group of soldiers forming a protective ring around them.

The situation inside the castle was no better. Knights battled demons in every hallway, and the King's group had to fight for every inch of ground they gained towards the throne room.

Finally reaching the massive double doors, Mickey unlocked the smaller entrance with his Keyblade and hurried inside. "Guard the door." He ordered to the knights that had accompanied them. "No one gets through."

The knights nodded and moved back into the hallway, forming a semi-circle around the entrance, prepared to fight off any attack.

Once the door was closed, blocking out the sounds of battle, the cavernous, empty throne room seemed eerily still. Wasting no time, Mickey dashed towards the throne and threw the switch hidden on the underside of one of the arms. The dais slid slowly to the side, revealing the hidden staircase down to the Hall of the Cornerstone.

Mickey leapt down the entire length of the stairs, Donald, Goofy, Max, and Minnie, who had by now recovered enough to walk on her own, followed as fast as they were able.

Reaching the bottom, the group skidded to a halt, almost bowling over the king, who was standing in numb silence.

The Cornerstone of Light lay in pieces. Standing in the center of the mess was an enormous man, dressed in blood-red armor with a matching cape. An antlered helmet adorned his head, and a mighty battleaxe was clutched in his right hand.

Turning slowly, the Horned King gazed out at the small group of warriors, baleful red eyes glowing from the shadows cast by his helmet.

"At last." He whispered menacingly. "I've been waiting for you, tiny king. See how you're precious Cornerstone lies in ruin. Know that your kingdom will soon follow it."

He hefted his axe, slowly advancing on Mickey and the others. "Take heart, however." The Horned King continued. "For you will not have to lay eyes on the destruction I will rain down upon your subjects. For your end, is now!" He broke suddenly into a dead run, moving far faster than a man his size had any right to. The wicked blade of the battleaxe whistled as it sliced through the air, heading right for the King of Disney Castle as he stood, stunned, under the crushing weight of hopelessness.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: All characters and names are copyright of Square-Enix and/or Disney Corporation. This is a non-profit endeavor for entertainment purposes only.

A/N: Well, this came out sooner than even I expected it would. And its even longer than the pervious chapters. Im rather proud of myself. Anyway, hope you enjoy it.

Pete blew out a long sigh as he gazed out over the ocean from the deck of the _Flying Dutchman_. For the last few days he had had nothing more to look at than a world of endless blue. A part of him felt that he should be able to appreciate life on board a ship, given his former occupation as a steamboat captain. But the tiny _Willie _was a far cry from this massive warship. And at least back then, he had always been able to dock his boat and go home at the end of the day. Being out to sea, truly out to sea, was a whole different story.

And then there was the matter of his shipmates. If had thought that Barbossa's zombie-skeleton pirates were weird, they were _nothing _compared to the walking fish-men who crewed the _Dutchman_.

Pete's ears perked up as they caught the rhythmic clumping sound that always heralded the approach of the _Dutchman_'s captain. The King of Weird, Pete liked to think of him as.

"Enjoying the view, Mister Pete?" Davy Jones asked as he came to stand beside him at the railing.

"Sure." Pete drawled. "If staring out at nothing all day every day is your idea of enjoyment."

The tentacles that made up the bottom of Jones' face wiggled slightly in what Pete took to be amusement. "Worry not, Mister Pete. We have reached our destination."

"Waddya mean?" Pete asked, turning to look at Jones in slack-jawed confusion. "There's not even a hint of land to be seen for miles."

Jones' tentacles wiggled again, and his lipless mouth curled into a small smirk at some private joke. "Look again."

Pete turned slowly back and nearly fell over backwards in surprise.

Impossibly, the _Dutchman _was steadily approaching land. Pete saw a white sand beach that seemed to stretch to infinity, maybe even beyond that.

Jones smirked again at Pete's befuddled look, and then turned to call over his shoulder. "Case the sails! Drop anchor!"

The command was repeated back throughout the decks as the crew hurried to carry out the Captain's orders. The sails were furled and tied away, and the anchor was dropped, catching on the ocean floor and slowly bringing the ship to a halt.

Jones turned and limped away from the railing. "Mister Turner! Prepare the Captains Gig. We're going ashore."

Pete saw the crewman in question move hurriedly to where one of the long boats was tied up. Pete had noticed this man a few times on the voyage before. He stood out, as he seemed to be the one member of the crew who still retained most of his humanity. While his clothes always seemed to be water-logged, his skin was deathly white tinged with just a hint of green, and he had a row of barnacles growing along his jaw along with a small starfish attached to one cheek, his features were still more or less identifiable as a man. Especially his eyes. There was a great deal of sorrow and regret there, even someone with the emotional range of a sea slug like Pete could see that much.

"Coming, Mister Pete?" Jones called back.

Pete blinked and shook his head, pushing away from the railing. "Yeah, yeah. Im comin'."

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Turner rowed the long boat the rest of the distance to the beach, and Jones and Pete climbed out. Like the World That Never Was, with its strange, otherworldly-properties, Jones was able to set foot on the shores of the Locker without waiting for the ten year term on his curse to run its course.

Pete gazed over the desolate landscape and let out another great, heaving sigh. From endless water to endless sand. He wasn't sure which option he disliked more.

Jones heard the sigh, and glanced at his companion with the same look he had given him earlier. It seemed that Pete's exasperation with this entire process greatly amused the Captain. This didnt do much to elevate Petes mood.

"Are we gonna be walkin' long? I don't do too well with long distances." Pete asked.

Jones snorted and began walking up the beach. "Not far, Mister Pete."

Indeed, they had only been walking for a short time when Pete spied a small, dark figure squatting in the sand less than a mile away. As they drew closer, Pete was able to make out more details. The person was wearing a tattered red coat, and had long, stringy, unwashed black hair. He was drawing something in the sand with a broken stick, and Pete caught occasional flashes of something metal near his left hand glinting in the sun.

Most absurd, and perhaps disturbing, of all was that he seemed to be wearing a hollowed out crocodile head as a hat.

As they drew near, Pete and Jones could hear the figure muttering to himself. "Cogs and gears, cogs and gears, click-clack, tick-tock. Cant hear it anymore, cant hear it any more. Only silence now. Always silence. At last." Then the figure gave off a high-pitched, maniacal giggle that sent shivers down Pete's spine.

Jones stopped next to the figure, staring down impassively. The man ignored them for a moment, and then slowly turned his head to look at them when he seemed to notice their shadows looming over him. Staring out at them from between the open jaws of the crocodile head was a face Pete almost recognized. A long, hooked nose, frazzled looking moustache, and the most demented pair of beady little black eyes Pete could ever remember seeing.

Jones finally spoke. "James Hook. Youve been granted a reprieve."

Pete's eyes dropped down to the mans left hand. The glint of metal he saw earlier was indeed a hook that sat in place of the hand. Pete's eyes returned to the face. Yes, he could see it now.

This pathetic figure, mumbling and scribbling nonsense in the sand, was Captain Hook.

And he was completely out of his mind.

Hook stared up at Jones, a muscle in his cheek twitching. "Buttons?"

Jones sneered, and his crab claw hand suddenly snatched Hook around the throat, dragging up to eye level. "Pull your mind together, you babbling fool!" Jones hissed in his face, tentacles waving menacingly. "Maleficent has need of you, and she should be sorely disappointed to find you in such a state."

Hook stared bug-eyed at Jones for a while, before finally mustering up the courage to speak half-coherently. "No ship. Cant help, no ship. Lost. Lost to the deep."

Jones released his grip on Hook and half-turned, pointing back towards the ocean. "You mean that ship?"

Pete turned to look where Jones was pointing, and this time he really _did _fall over. Another ship had suddenly appeared at anchor next to the _Dutchman_, a grinning skull-and-crossbones splayed across the main sail.

Hook stared at the ship for a long time, crawling onto his knees, one hand reaching out towards it. "Real?"

"Real as you or I." Jones answered, heading back towards the shore. "Come now, Hook. The _Jolly Roger _awaits her Captain."

Hook got shakily to his feet, following slowly after the departing Jones.

Pete sat there in the sand for a few more moments. "I cant wait to be done with all this weird stuff." He huffed, and then scrambled up when he realized he was getting left behind. "Hey, wait for me!"

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Save the King lived up to its name for the second time that day as Goofy leapt forward to interpose himself between Mickey and the Horned King's axe. The contact between blade and shield caused a loud clang that echoed around the cavernous chamber, and the force of the blow sent Goofy flying off to the side with a yelp. But the Horned King's attack was thwarted and Mickey's life was, for the moment, spared.

The flurry of activity seemed to shake Mickey of his temporary paralysis. "Goofy!" He called out, hurrying to the side of his friend, Donald, Minnie, and Max following close behind, all keeping one wary eye on the Horned King.

"Awww, Im all right, Your Majesty." Goofy said, getting slowly to his feet, looking a little cross-eyes. "He sure does pack a wallop though."

Mickey turned and pointed his Keyblade at the Horned King. "You wont get away with this! For putting my people in danger, and trying to hurt my friends, I wont forgive you!"

"It is fortunate, then, that I do not require your forgiveness." The Horned King began to advance again. "Do not needlessly prolong your suffering. You do not want to see what I will do to your kingdom when I am finished with you."

"No, were finished with _you_!" Mickey charged forward, leaping into the air and bringing his Keyblade down to strike at the Horned King. His opponent swept his axe upwards to block, and Mickey dropped to floor and rolled, swinging for the larger man's knees.

The axe shaft dropped down, slapping the Keyblade off to one side. Mickey used the momentum to roll with the parry, twisting onto his back and pointing the Keyblade at the Horned King. A bright ball of light formed at the tip and shot off, streaking towards the aggressor.

The Horned King brought his axe around to block the Pearl. When the ball made contact with the axe head, it split into many small points of light, which curled around the Horned Kings weapon and turned into thin blades, stabbing through his armor and into his arms and chest.

Letting out a great bellow, the Horned King staggered backwards. Though the attack did seem to pain him, it also seemed to only make him angrier. He charged again, axe swinging. Mickey bounded and leapt about, using his much smaller frame to his advantage, always moving out of the way of each attack moments before it landed and countering with strikes from the Kingdom Key D whenever he could.

Though the large axe must have weighed an enormous amount, the Horned King swung it around as easily as Mickey did his Keyblade. The Hall of the Cornerstone was filled with the echoing rings of the two weapons bouncing off each other.

Suddenly, the Horned King leapt backwards, landing several feet away from Mickey. He raised his axe high in the air, and then slammed the butt into the ground.

"Fulminating Darkness!" He cried.

From the point where the axe rested on the ground, a large, circular shadow began to spread across the floor. Strangely, the shadow seemed to have depth, as Mickey and the others could see indistinct shapes swirling around inside it. A heavy feeling of dread seemed to permeate the room as it spread further and further.

"Since you will not submit to a quick death, you have instead doomed yourselves to an eternity of endless torment." The Horned King informed them as the growing shadow continued to eat up floor space, causing the defenders of Disney Castle to back away into the corner.

"Mickey?" Minnies voice wavered with uncertainty. "Can you do anything?"

"Gosh, Minnie, I dont know." Mickey answered as he continued to back away from the darkness. "I dont think any of my tricks are gonna work this time."

"Waaaak! Your Majesty! Look!" Donald yelled frantically as he pointed his staff at something.

Mickey and the others turned to see what Donald had spotted.

It was the door to the Timeless River. The shadow had not reached it yet.

"Good work Donald! Everybody! Through the door! Quickly!" The five of them sprinted for the door, racing to stay ahead of the creeping blackness.

"What? No!" The Horned King belatedly realized what was happening. He lifted his axe off the ground, the darkness vanishing the instant he did so. He charged in the direction of the door, long legs carrying him in great leaping bounds as he tried desperately to reach the door before they did.

He was only a few seconds off. Mickey waved his Keyblade at the door, and it sprang open. Without breaking stride, they dove through it, the door slamming shut behind them.

"Lock it!" Minnie shouted, her voice sounding muted in the past-worlds strange environment.

Mickey turned and pointed the Keyblade at the door. A thin beam of light shot from the tip and into the keyhole, where it locked with a small click.

Everyone watched with baited breath as the door shook violently as the Horned King tried to force his way through from the other side. It seemed that, for one terrifying moment, not even the magically locked door would be able to stand against the Horned King's fury. But then the door fell silent. It seemed the enemy had given up.

Mickey looked around at the others. Donald and Goofy had reverted to the clothes they had been wearing during their first trip through this World with Sora. Minnie had changes as well. Instead of her royal gown, she was now wearing a simple, flower print sundress, and her tiara was replaced with a bow. Max no longer had had on his armor, it having changed into a hooded sweatshirt with jeans and a pair of sneakers.

Looking down at himself, Mickey saw he was wearing a pair of shorts with large buttons on the front. Even with the lack of color, he knew the shorts were red and their accompanying buttons yellow.

"Been a long time since I wore these." He muttered to himself.

King Mickey! Queen Minnie! Look!" Max exclaimed.

They turned to see what it was he had noticed. They found themselves standing on the hill where the Cornerstone of Light was first found.

But it was gone.

"So that's how the enemy got in." Mickey said, dismissing his Keyblade. "The only question is how? And where did they take it?"

"I think we need to find out." Minnie answered. "And I believe our search would go faster if we split up."

"Good idea Minnie. Mickey agreed. Youll come with me. Max, Donald, and Goofy can form the other party. Well head into town. You guys start at the Wharf."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The three bowed, and then hurried to carry out their assignment.

Mickey sighed as he and Minnie started heading in the opposite direction. "Once again, our peace is shattered. I sure hope Sora and the others are OK, wherever they are."

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Sora clamped a hand over his mouth, fighting not to lose the contents of his stomach as he and Riku stepped from the Corridor of Darkness.

"Sorry." Riku said, clapping Sora on the shoulder and suppressing a smile. "I shoulda warned you. Traveling through darkness isnt easy. Youll get used to it, though."

Sora swallowed and looked up at Riku with a glare. "Yeah, thanks pal." Taking a deep breath, he straightened up and looked around, a frown slowly crossing his face. "Riku, this isn't Disney Castle."

I...you're right. I dont...I dont understand." Riku stammered, looking around as well. They had emerged on a street in the middle of a dingy city. Buildings towered over their heads, creating the feeling that they were being closed in on all sides. Trash blew through the alley ways in the light afternoon breeze. It was also eerily quiet. Like the entire city was deserted.

"You mean we went through all that for nothing?" Sora turned an accusatory look on Riku. "I though you knew how to use those things."

"I do! I mean I did...I mean this has never happened before!" Riku tried vainly to defend himself.

Sora shook his head. "Forget it. Look! That building over there has lights on! Lets go see if someone in there can help us out." He took off at a jog towards a low, flat-roofed building nestled in between two larger ones. There was a brightly-lit, neon sign on top of the roof, but neither boy paid it any attention as they slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside.

The interior of the building was dimly lit and smelled like it hadn't been properly cleaned in a while. An old jukebox sat in one corner near a dust-covered drum set. In the center of the room was a pool table with all of its balls spread around the green felt top haphazardly. On one of the walls was a strange collection of what looked like tribal masks, each one mounted to the wall with what, upon closer inspection, turned out to be a large and varying collection of swords.

Against the wall farthest from the door was a large, oak desk. Someone was sitting behind it in a high-backed chair. Though Sora and Riku could only see a pair of black boots and brown pants, as the occupant had his legs kicked up on the desk, blocking the rest of him from view.

"Hello?" Sora tentatively called.

"We're closed." A tired sounding voice answered. "Unless ya gotta use the bathroom. Its in the back. Make it quick."

Sora and Riku looked at each other. "Actually, sir, were a little lost." Riku said.

"What do I look like, a tour guide? Beat it, kids. I dont think your moms would like you running around the city talking to strangers."

Riku bristled at the strangers dismissive tone. "Listen here you; I'll have you know..."

The legs abruptly came off the desk, and the chair the man was sitting in thumped forward onto its front legs. The occupant was wearing a red, short-sleeved shirt with a black vest over it. Unkempt, snow-white hair hung over his ears, bangs stopping just above his eyes.

Eyes of the iciest blue, who's piercing gaze stopped Riku in his tracks. The silver-haired teenager gulped. Without ever having met this man, Riku could tell he was extremely dangerous.

"You'll have me know _what_, kid?"

Riku floundered about for an answer. He was saved the trouble when the front door of the building burst open.

Riku and Sora turned to see Heartless flooding in, a mixture of Soldiers and Armored Knights.

Ultima and Way to Dawn appeared in their owners hands, all thoughts of the rude man forgotten as the Keybearers turned to face the coming onslaught. Sora, being the closest, started the battle first. Ultima flew back and forth, cutting through the meager defenses of the Soldiers. An Armored Knight blocked one of his attacks, and one of its brothers attempted to run Sora through with its blade. Sora leapt up and kicked the Heartless in its head, knocking it into the one that had his Keyblade locked up. Both creatures were sent sprawling, knocking over another group of Soldiers that had just squeezed through the door.

Riku reached the fray and barreled straight into a group of Armored Knights. Way to Dawn danced around, piercing and slashing any Heartless that got in its way. Jumping up, he landed on the shoulders of an Armored Knight, and used it as a platform to spring into the air. Drawing his arm back, he hurled the Keyblade down into the Heartless horde. It spun through the air, cleaving through the enemies that didn't have enough sense to get out of its way. The Way to Dawn curved through the air and found its way back to Riku's hand, who slashed downwards as he came back to the ground, splitting another Heartless in half.

"Hey! Take it outside!" The surly man behind the desk shouted. He was roundly ignored by all as the two teenagers continued to slay the Heartless invaders, who were determined, if nothing else.

Then, portals of darkness opened on the floor in front of the desk. Several Lunar Bandits emerged, their twin scimitars waving through the air as they searched for a target.

"OK. Thats it." The man growled. Lifting a leg, he pressed the sole of his boot against the edge of the desk. With a small grunt, he kicked his leg out. The desk, which must've weighed several hundred pounds, slid across the floor as if it were made of ice. It caught the Lunar Bandits as it traveled, hurtling towards where Sora and Riku were battling. The Keybearers heard it scraping across the floor, and turned just in time to see it coming and leap out of the way.

The desk barreled through a large part of the group of Heartless before slamming to a stop against the wall. Any Heartless caught within its path were crushed into nothingness.

Sora and Riku looked at the man as he stood from his chair. His hands went around to the small of his back, and when they came around again, each was clutching a large handgun, one white, the other black.

The Keybearers scrambled to either side as the man brought both guns up and took aim at the remaining Heartless. Opening fire, the guns sprayed hot lead into the horde, tearing apart their bodies until naught was left but a smoky haze hanging in the air. The guns didn't fall silent until the Heartless stopped coming.

When that finally occurred, Sora and Riku turned to stare, slack-jawed, at the white-haired man. Until the barrels of his guns twitched over to them. The teenagers hurriedly dismissed their Keyblades and put their hands into the air.

"Now then." The man drawled. "_What _is going on here?"

"Uh, well, you see, sir..." Sora began.

"Dante." The man cut him off. "Dont 'sir' me. Makes me feel old."

"Oh. OK. Well, you see Dante, my name's Sora, and this is Riku." He did his best to indicate his friend standing next to him while keeping his arms in the air. "And, like we said, we're a little lost."

"Yeah, Im getting that." Dante replied. "What were those things?" He gestured towards the door with his white gun.

"Heartless." Riku answered. "They...kinda have a tendency to follow us around."

Dante's eye twitched. "And you brought them right to my doorstep."

Sora ducked his head, looking sheepish. "Yeah. Sorry about that."

Dante considered the two of them for a few more moments, and then he finally lowered his weapons, returning them to the holsters at the small of his back. "Well, I guess its no big deal. Its not like I havent had weirder visitors in the past."

The boys lowered their arms with a collective sigh. "Thanks, Dante." Sora said. "We really wouldn't have troubled you if we could help it."

"Right. So where is it that you were trying to get to that you've gotten lost anyway?"

"Well..." Riku hedged, glancing at Sora. How exactly to explain what it was they were trying to do?

Suddenly, there came the sounds of shattering glass. From behind Dante, a hooded creature seemed to appear from nowhere. The monster carried a large scythe, which it swung through the air. Sora opened his mouth to warn Dante, but it was too late. The curved blade plunged into Dante's back and emerged from his chest with a small spray of blood.

Sora and Riku stared in horror, while Dante, to their eternal surprise, merely looked annoyed.

"I really, _really _hate when this happens." He muttered, and then lashed backwards with his leg. His kick connected solidly with the creature behind him, snapping the scythe blade off its shaft and sending the thing flying backwards into the wall, where it exploded in a cloud of sand.

Another of the creatures appeared off to the side. Before it could react, Dante grabbed the scythe blade still embedded in his body, yanked it out and hurled it like a Frisbee. The whirling blade decapitated the surprised creature, and it to vanished in a cloud of sand.

The boys looked back at Dante as he made a show of brushing his hands off. The wound on his chest had already completely healed!

"Freakin' demons." The white-haired man muttered. "Will you two stop staring? Makin' me uncomfortable."

"But you should be dead!" Riku exclaimed.

"Should I?" Dante looked down at himself. "I feel just fine."

Sora and Riku stared at each other, and then shrugged it off. Weirder things had happened.

The sound of shattering glass announced the arrival of another demon. The three turned to see it prowling near the door, red eyes watching them carefully. Suddenly, a pool of darkness appeared at its feet, and a Shadow emerged from it. Rather than attacking the Keybearers, as they expected it to do, it turned and leapt at the demon, latching onto its chest. The shadow then seemed to melt and soak into the demon. As the two beings merged, the demon began to change.

Its light brown cloak turned black, and it grew to almost double its original size. Its stick-like limbs bulged with added muscle, while large bone spikes erupted from its shoulders.

Finally, its scythe sprouted another blade at its opposite end, creating a deadly, double-bladed weapon.

This new creature, the Heartless Pride, let out a roar, challenging its foes to combat.

"Well now, things are starting to get interesting." Dante said, turning and walking to a corner of the room, where a large guitar case was propped against the wall. Dante gave the case a kick and it popped open. Reaching in, he pulled out, not an instrument, but a large sword with a broad, flat, double-edged blade. At the bottom of the blade were two protruding hand guards, and the hilt was decorated with the image of a screaming, demonic skull.

Sora gaped. The sword was huge! It was easily as big as the one Cloud had used, and Dante was handling his just as easily.

Resting the sword against his shoulder, Dante crossed the room again, ignoring the Heartless Pride for a moment. He strode up to the jukebox and perused the selection for a moment, nodding as he found what he wanted and pressing the selection.

"Looks like this party's getting crazy." He glanced over his shoulder at Sora and Riku, grinning. "Let's rock."

Dante hit the play button. There was a moment while the jukebox put the record in place, and then the room was filled with the harsh tones of fast-paced death metal. Dante tapped his foot for a few seconds until he got the rhythm down, and when the song his what he considered to be the perfect note, he spun on his heel and lunged at the Heartless Pride. His sword, Rebellion, whistled as it swung through the air, aiming to bisect the monster at the shoulders. The Heartless Pride swung its scythe around and blocked the strike with one blade, then tried to catch Dante on the backswing with the other blade.

Dante danced out of the way as his sword dropped down to knock the scythe off to one side. He then swung Rebellion around his head and brought it down diagonally from the left. The Heartless Pride spun its body out of the swords path and swung its scythe around horizontally, the curved blade at one end flashing for Dantes neck.

Dante bent backwards at the waist, and the blade traveled harmlessly over him. He then kicked out as he straightened up again, foot connecting with the creatures chest. Though unlike its weaker cousin from a few minutes earlier, it didn't fly across the room. It merely stumbled back a few steps.

Dante glanced over his shoulder. "This is an open-invitation dance, ya know."

Riku glanced and Sora and shrugged, smirking. "You heard the man." He summoned Way to Dawn and dashed across the floor, Sora smiling and calling Ultima as he followed.

The Heartless Pride recovered from its stumble and looked up in time to see two Keyblades bearing down on it. Hissing, it spun its double-bladed weapon in a defensive move, parrying off both blades. Sora and Riku jumped to either side of the monster, stabbing and slashing. The Heartless Pride swung its weapon back and forth, blocking and parrying the attacks, moving and twisting across the floor. The Keybearers followed it, the three combatants moving in a deadly dance that each was an expert at.

Dante stood back, watching the boys battle. He nodded slowly to himself. They were really quite good, now that he could actually watch them fight, rather than worrying over their earlier intrusion. Despite their age, Dante was reasonably sure they could hold their own against some of the worst he had gone up against in the past.

As he watched, the brown-haired boy called Sora jumped over a low swing from the enemy. Reaching out, he placed a hand on the Heartless Pride's shoulder and used the leverage to vault over its head. He twisted his body on the way over and swung his legs under him, planting both shoes into the creature's back. The Heartless Pride stumbled forward, and Riku slashed downwards with his Keyblade. The creature raised its scythe to block, and the shaft was split in two by Riku's strike. Thrown off balance by the sudden redistribution in the weight of its weapon, the Heartless Pride flailed its arms for a moment, trying to regain a defensive posture.

Too late. Riku's Keyblade struck again, piercing the creatures throat. It made a strangled gurgling sound, and then Ultima cut cleanly through its midsection. The bottom half fell away, dissolving into sand. The top half, still pinned by Way to Dawn, remained for a few seconds, and then dissolved as well, a small, pink heart floating up towards the ceiling and vanishing.

The sound of applause drew their attention back to Dante, who was leaning against the hilt of his sword, the point resting on the ground, clapping at their performance.

"Not bad, kiddos. Not bad at all. Now then, seeing as we have a little bit of time, hows about you tell me whats actually going on around here?"

Sora and Riku looked at each other for a second.

"Pull up your chair, Dante." Sora said. "This could take a little bit."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

She had been aware of the darkness for some time. Come to think of it, it was all she could seem to remember. Had she been born in the darkness? Had she lived all her life in the darkness? How long ago had she been born anyway? All these details, seemingly important, had fled her memory. Perhaps she had been here for eternity.

The darkness seemed to change. While before, it had merely been swirling around her, carrying her along, it was now shifting. It began pressing down on her. It was just a slight pressure at first, but it slowly became more insistent, and was starting to get a little painful. Her breath began to leave her, a small part of her brain noting that she did indeed breathe in the first place.

Then there was searing pain, along what she now knew to be the front of her body. A great line of pain, starting near her abdomen and running almost up to her neck. If it wasn't so dark, she'd have sworn the line was glowing red.

Then, there was a tiny point of light, no bigger than a dime really, but it stopped the darkness from pressing down on her and lessened her pain, though she was still very much aware of it.

"_You have to wake up._" The small point of light was speaking to her. "_You have to wake up, Kairi._"

Yes. Kairi was her name. Details were starting to emerge from the hole in her memory. But she was still confused.

"_Wake up? Am I...asleep?_"

"_Worse. _"The light answered. Kairi could now tell the voice was a girl's. "_Youre hovering on the precipice of life and death. You're injured, gravely, and you need to wake up before its too late._"

"_If I'm injured, then what can I do? _"Kairi replied. "_One of the others..._"

"_There are no others, Kairi. You're on your own. You have to do this. You have the power inside of you, you always have. You need to use it or we'll both be lost, you need to wake up, you need to_"

"Heal!" The darkness was suddenly replaced by a blinding light, and Kairi jolted awake, panting and in a cold sweat. She glanced around frantically for a moment, trying to get her bearings. It was hard to see where she was, but it was due to the environment's low lighting, rather than the crushing darkness she had been in before.

In a rush, the rest of her memories returned to her. She recalled what it was that had landed her in this predicament in the first place. The Horseman...

Gut wrenching in sudden fear, she looked down at herself. She was still wearing the tattered remains of the white and pink, short-sleeved shirt she had on, which had been split completely up the middle and was now mostly useless as a garment, as the ragged edges covered basically nothing. Her modesty was forgotten for the moment in light of what else she saw.

The healing spell had indeed saved her life, but the wound caused by the Horseman's jagged blade hadn't been able to close seamlessly. A thin, white scar snaked its way from near her bellybutton up between her breasts, stopping near the hollow of her throat.

She let out a long, shuddering breath, fighting down the tears that welled up in her eyes. Really, considering the state she had been in before the light spoke to her, things could have been much worse.

"Thank you, Namine." She whispered. There was no answer; the Nobody had retreated back to whatever corner of her heart she lived in.

Kairi turned her thoughts towards what her present predicament was, and what she could do about it. Standing, she pulled what remained of her shirt around her as best she could and took her first real look at her surroundings. The room she was in seemed to be made entirely of bluish-black stone, the floor, ceiling, and walls were all indistinguishable from each other. The only source of light were a few flicking torches.

It was the torchlight glinting dully of metal that caught her attention. A set of iron bars, running floor to ceiling, made her realize she was not in a room, but a cell.

Walking up to the bars, she reached out with one hand and gripped one of the bars, giving it a small shake. It held firm, not that she expected any different. Dejected, her hand fell away. Was this what her entire life was going to be reduced to? Constantly shuttled from one prison to another? To sit aside, helpless, until Sora, or Riku, or Namine, or someone else came to her rescue? To be forever locked away without a _key_?

She nearly lost her balance at the sudden weight that appeared in her right hand. Looking down, her eyes widened at the golden Keyblade clutched there, its sweeping hand guards shaped to look like waves and multi-colored, wildflower-like teeth.

Of course...after all this time she had nearly forgotten. She _did _have a key!

Turning back to the bars, she hesitantly raised the Keyblade and pointed the tip at them, not sure exactly how this all worked

The tip of the Keyblade glowed brightly for a moment, there was a soft click, and the bars swung open.

Kairi had to fight down a squeal of triumph, not wanting to call any attention down on her. Left hand still clutching her shirt together, right holding tightly to the Keyblade, she hurried from her cell and down the corridor beyond it. All around her she saw the same rock, and a light mist swirled across the ground at her ankles. Occasionally, small, floating balls of light would materialize in the air, float around for a few moments, and vanish. But she encountered no other signs of life as she wound her way down through the strange caverns.

That is, until the pools of darkness opened in the path in front of her, and a group of Shadows emerged to stand in her way.

Kairi skidded to a stop, holding the Keyblade across her chest in what she hoped was a defensive stance. She _had _fought these things before, but at the time she had Riku watching her back, and Sora not far away.

Now, it was just her and the Heartless. She swallowed nervously as they began to advance on her, Keyblade beginning to vibrate as the hand holding it shook.

The lead Shadow leapt at her, claws extended for her face. Kairi's breath caught.

Time stopped.

Abruptly, the cavern and the Heartless were gone, darkness took over again. Looking down at her feet, Kari let out a gasp. She was standing on a great, stained-glass platform. Etched into its surface was a picture of Sora. He seemed to be reclining against something, eyes closed, the Kingdom Key held in his hand. Four smaller circles surrounded him. Kairi saw her own face in one of them, Riku, Donald, and Goofy in the others.

"Where...am I?" She whispered to herself.

"_Dont be afraid. _"A voice whispered back. It wasn't Namine. Kairi couldn't even really tell if the voice was male or female.

Three silvery objects appeared floating in the air before her. Sword, staff, and shield. Sora, Donald, Goofy.

"_What is thy desire? _"The voice asked of her.

Kairi considered each object in turn. The sword was dangerously sharp, with a leaf shaped blade that swept down to meet with the hilt, devoid of hand guards. Clearly an aggressive weapon made for an offensive life style. Kairi knew that it symbolized strength. She did want to become stronger, to be able to fight with Sora and Riku when Darkness threatened their lives. But the kind of strength the sword symbolized was the unchecked, violent kind that lusted for battle, that would always look for confrontation. Kairi knew that kind of fire didnt exist within her heart.

Kairi smiled slightly at the staff. It was topped with three blue circles arranged in a style that reminded her of King Mickey. This was wisdom, she knew. She had plenty of _that_, at least compared to Sora and Riku! Kairi giggled to herself at the small private joke. For a moment, she considered taking up the staff, thinking it perhaps suited her best. But she hesitated before touching it. All joking aside, she _was_ a smart girl. She already had that as a weapon to use against the Heartless. This left...

She turned to face the shield. It too was decorated with the Mickey-like emblem. This was courage. Kairi smiled again, reaching out without hesitation. It wasnt that she _lacked _courage. Rather, it was her newfound determination to take an active part in the battles to come, the courage to stand up to the Darkness, the desire to protect rather than be protected, that made the shield the best fit for her.

As soon as her fingers touched the polished surface, her Keyblade returned to her hand.

"_Name it._" The voice whispered to her.

Kairi considered the weapon for a moment. The wave and flower motif reminding her strongly of her home on Destiny Islands, the home that had so rudely been taken from her time and again.

"Stolen Paradise."

As soon as the name left her lips, the scene changed again. She was back in the cavern with the Heartless in front of her. The one that had pounced at her, frozen in mid-air, regained its momentum, flying right at her face.

Kairi smirked. This was gonna be fun.

She shifted to one side, letting the Heartless fly harmlessly past her. As it went by, Stolen Paradise came up and sliced cleanly through it. The Shadow exploded into smoke before it hit the ground, its crystal heart floating up to the cavern roof, vanishing.

The rest of the Shadows charged her. Kairi moved to meet them with a confidence she hadn't felt before. She weaved and dodged around their slashing claws, Keyblade twitching back and forth. They each fell, one after the other, each victory filling Kairi with an exuberant joy. This is what it felt like to be in control of your own destiny!

She looked around, finding herself alone. "What? No more?" She was surprised to find herself disappointed. It felt so good to be able to take the fight to the enemy for a change.

Kairi tapped Stolen Paradise against her shoulder. "Well, time to find my way out of here I guess."

Kairi turned and resumed her journey down the dark cavern corridor, no longer afraid of what she might find waiting beyond.


End file.
